A major campaign to find beds for tourism workers has been launched as a crippling housing shortage combined with the return of international tourists threatens to derail the industry.
Key points:
- Port Douglas residents urged to offer spare room for tourism workers
- The tropical tourist town has a rental vacancy rate of 0.4%
- Campaign to house workers comes as international tourism rebounds
The tourism mecca of Far North Queensland, Port Douglas – long favored by US presidents and celebrities – has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country, at just 0.4%.
Tara Bennett, managing director of Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree, said the Adopt a Worker project asks the community to offer “any space they may have to accommodate our much-needed seasonal workers” in exchange for money.
“If you have a spare bedroom, a grandma’s apartment, a vacant lot suitable for a tent or a van, we invite you to adopt a worker,” Ms Bennett said.
“We are seeing a lot of interest from people who want to come and work in the region, the destination is attractive, especially in winter, but once they arrive they are [not] to find accommodation.
Rhys Bawden owns Salsa Bar and Grill near the Port Douglas waterfront, which recently celebrated its 27th anniversary.
Dozens of plates signed by Hollywood stars such as Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson adorn the walls, while singers Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue also popped in for a meal.
He said the critical housing shortage was impacting businesses.
“We have staff who have lived and worked in Port Douglas for over 15 years, who lose their homes to rent increases that make them unaffordable, or properties that are taken out of the rental pool to become holiday homes,” Mr Bawden said.
Road to recovery
It has been a disastrous two years for Far North Queensland’s tourism industry with border closures due to COVID-19 crippling an industry that was once worth $2.5 billion a year to the local economy.
But there are signs of recovery. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show there were 29,780 short-term visitor arrivals to Queensland in March this year, an increase of 28,410 on the same period the previous year.
Three months after international borders reopened, Ms Bennett said the industry was optimistic, particularly during the peak winter months.
“Bookings are fantastic, we have every chance of having the strongest year the region has ever seen,” Ms Bennett said.
“We are already trading well above pre-COVID averages.
Steve Edmondson of Sailaway Reef and Island Tours said they had “never been busier” taking tourists to the Great Barrier Reef.
“We have four to five full trips every day, our sunset tours are booked two weeks in advance and there are also a lot of private charters,” he said.
“We have stronger forward international bookings than when we had it before COVID.”
#Empty #Nests #asked #spare #rooms #critical #housing #shortage #rages #tropical #paradise